Difference between revisions of "Biography: Michael Brey"

Latest revision as of 15:25, 26 August 2012

Brauer is the German word for a brewer. Michael Brey may have come from a family connected to the brewing arts. When "Brauer" is pronounced with the German gutteral "uer" ending, English speaking record keepers would have heard Brier, Bry, Bryer and Brey , all variant spellings for the family name.

Michael Brey was born 14 April, 1773 somewhere in eastern Pennsylvania. He would have lived in a German community there, and yet his family would have been aware of the news out of Philadelphia. They lived through the Revolutionary War, and with no particular ties to England may have found the cause of the Revolutionaries appealing, even though the German communities tended to live a somewhat apart because of language and customs. At present nothing is known of Michael's parents and other family in the area. By the early 1800's there were several Brey men living in southern Northampton County, which in 1812 would become Lehigh County.

Michael met and married a woman named Maria, who had been born in Germany. They appear to have been married by 1789-1793. In about 1794 they had a daughter named Hattie. [She was apparently born with some degree of retardation. She was still living with her aging parents in 1850 and was noted in the census to be an "idiot". ]

In the 1800 census, Michael and wife were living in Upper Milford township, Northampton County, with two young children, a boy and a girl under age ten. Hattie would have been about six years old. The son may have been older or younger, being born between 1790 and 1800. (This son may be Samuel Brey of the Emmaus church records.)

Another daughter must have been born in 1800, after the date of the census. [In 1810 the family is listed with, among others, two daughters and one son aged 10 -16 years, so born 1794-1800].

On 5 February 1802 Michael was the baptismal sponsor at the christening of Absalom Arnold. The baptism took place at the St. Paul's Lutheran Church, also known as the Blue Church, in nearby Upper Saucon township. The child's father was Frederick Arnold, the mother Deborah Ziegler Arnold.

Michael's name is found on a deed dated 1806. He owned 2 acres, 70 perches in Upper Milford township. He had bought the small irregular shaped plot from John Giering who had received it from his father Andrew Giering. Neighbors included the United Brethren, John Giering, Henry Bauer, Jacob Mohr, George Dost, Henry Daubert, and the "late" Tobias Mandel.

On 1 March 1808 another daughter, Elizabeth, was born. She was one of three more daughters born between 1801 and 1810

In the 1810 census Michael and wife are listed in Upper Saucon township, Northampton Co., with three daughters under age ten, two daughters and one son between ages 10 and 16. The parents in this 1810 census are reportedly aged 26-45. Michael should be about 37. Interestingly, there is an older man living in the household, (over age 45, which is the highest age category listed). He is possibly the father of either Michael or Maria., but could also be a brother, or farm hand.

In 1812, Lehigh County was created and included townships from Northampton County. The 1812 tax rolls of Upper and Lower Milford Townships include Adam, George, Michael, and Philip Brey. The source (The History of the Counties of Lehigh and Carbon, by Alfred Mathews) does not list these Brey men on the Milford tax rolls in 1781.

Michael Brey's name appears in the title record for a 47 acre & 82 perches piece of land in Lower Macungie township, Lehigh County, that was being sold for $3, 087.90 in 1844,[ a little more than $64 per acre]. The deed states that the land was bought from George Adam Klein and Christina his wife on 6 April 1813 by Michael Brey. The same property was then sold by Michael Brey and his wife Maria on 22 Feb. 1821. They sold it to Philip Klein, who, when he sold it in 1840, had a wife Margaret.

This might suggest that while Michael did own a small 2 acre parcel as early as 1806, he and Maria, may have lived with one set of parents for a time in Upper Milford township, Michael working as a farm laborer. When he had sufficient money he then bought his own farm in Lower Macungie township.

Another daughter that we know of was born in about 1816. Family information notes a daughter Harriet who in later years married a Samuel Shaner in Clarion County, PA. She indeed is present there in the 1850 census as Harrietta, aged 34 years. From this her birth year is calculated to be about 1816. She would not have appeared in the 1810 census, so that brings the number of children in the family to at least seven, all but one being daughters.

In August of 1827, both Michael and Maria were sponsors at the baptism of Clarissa Lehr, daughter of David and Maria Lehr. The baptism is recorded in the records of the Jordan Reformed Congregation of South Whitehall township, Lehigh County. [It is possible that Maria Lehr was a sister of Michael Brey, or conversely that David Lehr was a brother of Maria Brey; relationship if any is presently unknown.]

In about 1828 Michael and Maria's daughter Elizabeth married Jacob Beals, presumably in Lehigh County. This couple had at least three children born in Lehigh County: Flora Ann Beals in 1829, Samuel Beals in 1831, and Benjamin Beals in 1833. By 1839 Jacob and Elizabeth Brey Beals had migrated west to Clarion County, PA.

Michael and Maria and at least two of their children, Hattie and Harrietta, also migrated west to Clarion county, date unknown.

In the 1850 census Michael Brae is 76 and has retired from farming. Maria is 78, and daughter Hatty is 56 and living with them.

Michael died on 8 June 1859, aged 86 years. He was buried "Salem" according to records of St Paul's Lutheran church, Beaver township, Clarion Co. It is not known whether this refers to Salem township, the borough of Salem, now known as Lamartine, or in the cemetery of Salem Lutheran church. His grave has not been located. There are no other references to the Brey family in this record, no communion records, no mention of wife Maria or daughter Hattie.

[This biography was prepared by g-g-g-grandaughter Elizabeth Wilson Williams, based on the sources and without direct family knowledge.]